Daredevil
by HecateA
Summary: Risks and decisions, fast-thinking and choices. All in a day's work for a demigod, and Jason Grace is no exception, if not an overachiever. Oneshot.


**So this piece has been on my mind forever. Partially because part of my brain has been screaming 'noooo' ever since Annabeth called Jason 'Piper's boyfriend' in the Mark of Athena sneak preview and I'm hoping to squeeze as much Jason/Reyna into the Internet as I can before they become officially cannon. Anyways, enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: Me no own**

* * *

**Daredevil**

"Do you have any letters of recommendation?" Diane asked the new girl. She looked at the rows of Romans, not afraid but somehow… challenging all of them. With a glare that must've been perfected long before the Wolf House, holding up her head up high, as if unaware or proud or uncaring of her mud streaked face and tangled black hair.

She pulled what looked like a snippet of newspaper from the inside of her torn windbreaker and handed it to the augur. Poor Zoey's eyes widened and her apprentice, Octavian, scrambled to look at the snip too.

"This'll do," she told Diane.

Diane's eyes skimmed over the article and sprawled as she looked up at Reyna.

"Yes," Diane said. "You are indeed a daughter of Bellona, that much is clear."

"I'll stand for her," a guy in the first cohort said.

Someone in the second cohort shouted out and then the third. The fourth added its chiming voices probably just to be heard, and the fifth cohort shut up because it had no chances, and it didn't need new kids.

"Romans!" Diane's colleague Jeffrey Proster ordered from atop his caramel coloured Pegasus.

"Well," Diane said. "Reyna, you may choose the cohort you wish to join. The cohort with the highest honour is the first, then the second, then the third."

"Yeah, I got that." Reyna said. She looked at the first cohort for a second.

"The one in the back that stood for me." She said.

"The fourth?" Half the legion whispered. Jason frowned. Anybody in the bottom-sucker legions didn't _choose _to be there.

"May I?" Reyna asked.

"Of course," Proster said. "Centurion- does your Cohort accept this new recruit?"

Silver shields tapped the ground like metallic applause and the Centurion rose his hand to quiet them down, although he looked giddy himself, having recruited such a powerful and undoubtedly accomplished demigod. Jason was curious about that newspaper article himself.

"My cohort has spoken." He said.

"Then congratulations. To both of you. _Ave _Reyna Sabourin, daughter of Bellona."

* * *

_Two years previously, when Jason Grace's major risk-taking took off..._

Risk one of Jason Grace: 

Having been abandoned at the Wolf House and raised in Camp Jupiter's Fort, it was illogical for Lupa to send Jason on his way to find the Fort. He knew where it was already, and he'd heard legionnaires debate over the easiest path to take anyways.

The senate pondered, debated and drew blood over what should happen. It was deemed that Jason needed to make his proofs despite his years of experience in the legion and already existing tattoo, and that since he already knew where the camp was, he'd have to find the Wolf House.

And in the oddest trip the Romans had sponsored to a 'new recruit', being the oddest new recruit anyways, and set off on a Saturday morning before muster.

It was now Thursday, and Jason was frantic. He had to get there soon. He'd had a nasty run in with a monster he didn't even recognise (his childhood centurion, Maggie Lee-Johnson, daughter of Minerva, would cry; she taught Jason his monsters before she taught him the alphabet).

Whatever it was, it left his leg ripped to shreds and had him limping. He'd had to cut the opposite leg of his pants to make his jeans look normal and have something to bandage the wound. He'd woken up this morning with a searing pain in his thigh, and he'd collapsed the first two times he'd tried to stand. Upon unwrapping of the wound, he found that it was spitting back venom. His head felt blurry and he was too nauseous to eat anything –he'd tried and thrown up in a garbage can. Pedestrians and hobos find that lovely. He really had to reach the Wolf House, although how far from it he was, he didn't know.

_No, _he thought to himself. _You do know, your head's all messed up. Think. Pain is nothing, it's just a message. Ignore it. You're in Glen Ellen now. That's the closest city to the Jack London State Historic Park- you heard people say that a million times. You've just got to think this through and follow your instincts to know where to go. _

He looked to his right and limped along. He turned his body into auto-pilot, just following where his legs (well, good _leg _technically) brought him.

He saw the entrance to the Historic Park, but nearly ran back the other way. There they were again- those same monsters. They must've caught on to his scent. They must _really, really _like his scent to have stalked him from San Francisco. He'd hoped never to see them again.

His injury stung a little harder and his leg nearly gave out under him.

He could find another entrance. Or he could wander the forest away from the rightful paths. That would be the way to avoid the monsters.

He'd be fine walking amongst the forest- the older legionnaires made fun of him and called him Mowgli and said that he could walk better in a forest full of twisting roots, twigs and imperfect land then on New Rome's paved streets. But would his leg hold something like that?

He nearly fell again, despite having grabbed on to a bear-proof garbage can for support.

No; it wouldn't. But it was too risky to just barge into the main entrance with the monsters there… He was so frustrated he wanted to strangle those things with his bare hands.

One of them sniffed the air and started looking around.

That's when a pick-up truck with the park logo on the side came up, two rangers- a man and a woman both dressed in beige- rode right up close to him. There was a lot of equipment in the back –a first-aid kit, a stretcher for people with broken necks, a survival pack, a garbage can, pointed sticks to pick up trash-, but he _was_ small for a nine year old…

He didn't think. Not about the legal aspect, not about any justification he could possibly give, not about the risks (_especially _not about the risks). He put more pressure on his leg than he thought he could bear, and ran behind the slow-driving truck.

He grabbed the back and propped his good leg on the back of it, swung his leg over and landed on the injured one. He felt like screaming, but he didn't, he just lugged his good leg in and army-crawled further into the truck's bed, flat on his stomach. He covered himself with a tarp and prayed to every god Maggie Lee-Johnson and Lupa the she-wolf had ever taught him that these things wouldn't catch on soon enough.

* * *

Risk Three of Jason Grace: The war games were wickedly agitated. Jason was fighting blood and fire to get inside the Fort and find the flag. Once Bobby had proven his strategy to have worked in some musty war twenty million years ago (thank you, Lupa) and convinced Jason to be the pawn, a few of his friends had agreed to be distractions and make the plan work, as long as Jason hurried up to get the banners.

Now: the First Cohort was the one actually running the show, and they were cocky. Jason suspected that the flag would be poorly hidden and even more poorly guarded, and he was right.

Legionnaires played Mythomagic around the table, the banners lying in a heap at the center, like a bowl of fruit on a kitchen table. A legionnaire patrolled through it to check that all was good every few minutes and then went back to having fun by picking on the soldiers ramming their heads against the fort walls, so Jason knocked out the one that was going in, hid the body in a brick alcove he hoped no one looked greatly into, and took his place.

"All is well?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound deeper.

"Yeah, yeah." They said, playing Mythomagic. "I put in my _victoria _epiphet and win the battle automatically." One said.

"Not true, because I have my _caduceus _card, so I escape the battle and get to steal one of your weapons."

"Not if I use my _Juno Moneta- she who warns _card more." Someone said. "Limited edition, _what." _

Jason opened the door on the other side, but instead of marching right through he hid behind a set of armour. _Nobody. Noticed._

He hid (who said that being the most vertically challenged child of Jupiter _ever _didn't have its perks? Okay, he did) until the distraction took place in three, two…

There was a sound from upstairs, where Bobby had thankfully succeeded at setting the grass on fire and having Hannibal plough through the door.

"FORCES!" A Centurion yelled. "FORCES CONCENTRATE TO THE DOORS WE HAVE AN ELEPHANT!"

Hannibal made a trumpet sound as if to indicate that he was the elephant.

The soldiers ran out and Jason then came out of his hiding place. He grabbed the banner and congratulated himself, but forced himself to calm down and not get too cocky or sure yet. He could nearly hear Lupa _cockiness takes away your mind's drive, stops the adrenaline from pumping and makes you more likely to fail. _

He stuffed the banner down his breast plate and walked out of the room and pretended to charge out with the other soldiers. He was lucky that he was there that very second because the Fifth Cohort was mostly 1) On fire, 2) Soaked, 3) Down in some other nasty way, 4) Ordered to retreat 5) all of the above.

He merged into an orderly line of steadily marching legionnaires who were pouring outside in particular order.

Then he noticed the girl in front of him. Reyna.

She seemed to feel eyes on her like a wolf smells fear because she turned towards him, and he knew that she recognised him. He also knew that she'd reach for her knife.

He pushed through the other legionnaires and she came after him immediately, nearly a dagger's length from him at times. Jason was small but quick, and he managed to trip on the doorframe and roll in a very unroman and unsophisticated way. The kind of thing that got on YouTube with a title like 'Legionnaire makes hilarious fall'. He was on his back and she had a foot on his chest, a blade at his throat. Jason ripped the banners from his breast plate and held them up.

"Safe!" He said loudly, so somebody would _get her away from him_.

"Whoa Reyna- you can't smite him," her Centurion said. "He's out, he's technically safe."

"Da-yum, did the Fifth and Third cohorts actually win this?" Jason's Centurion, Hickory (not his real name) asked.

Huge cheering went up as Reyna shot Jason one last deadly look, took her foot off him and stormed back to the fort. She looked more royal and deadly than any praetor, any general, any empress possibly could.

Jason got back up as the whole cohort celebrated, and he just watched Reyna.

"Whoa, buddy." Bobby said. "I see the look you're giving her. But nuh-uh. Don't go for it. That girl would kill your _podex _dead. Forbidden fruit, bro. Out of your league. Out of a mortal's league."

"Go for what?" Jason asked.

"Oh Styx- here we go," Bobby sighed draping an arm around his friend. "Come on, let's just go celebrate. I ain't explaining romance to you tonight, or any other night." He said steering Jason back towards the main flow of people, who picked him up and carried him on his shoulders.

For the first time he felt proud of something he'd done.

* * *

Risk Four:

She slashed through the air with her sword and Jason gulped. Was now really a good time?

"Don't be a _graecus, _Jason, go in there." Bobby muttered.

"Go away, gods, stop following me," Jason said, annoyed. "I just want to talk to her to be decent. She's new, and I'm not."

"Please. Tell me more about your scientific discoveries." Bobby said.

"Your legacy of Cupid is showing. Dude, I'm just saying hi."

"Well, 'hi' could soon be followed by 'he was a good guy, just kind of stupid' as a eulogy when it comes to this girl." Bobby said.

Jason ignored Bobby and went into the arena.

"Hey," he said. She turned around. Her eyes were a beautiful almond shape, and very dark. Her hair was long and silky black, rugged at places where it'd been cut- by her or in fights, he didn't know. "My name's Jason."

"I know. The legion never shuts up about you. Especially after the war games." Reyna said. She was taller than him. Most girls were, but Jason hated that.

"Oh." He said.

"I'm Reyna."

Jason nodded. "The legion never shuts up about you either since… well, ever. Do you want something a little more challenging than those dummies to spare with?" He said pointing to straw dummy debris on the ground.

She met his eyes and said very carefully; "I don't see anything."

And marched off.

Bobby shrugged when he saw Jason make his way out, annoyed, frustrated, puzzled and kind-of insulted. But definitely fuzzy deep down.

"At least you've still got all your limbs." Bobby said.

* * *

Risk Seven: 

He swallowed, bent his head and whispered a quick prayer, and walked forwards.

"Reyna." He called, saying her name in a voice that he hoped was confident without being the cockiness that she hated.

She spun around and regarded her like a piece of gum stuck under her shoe- disgusting, unwanted and impossible to get rid of. "What, Grace?" She asked.

"I need to talk to you. In private." He said. He'd apologise to Gwen for interrupting her conversation later.

"Fine," Reyna said.

She followed him away from her friend and down the Fort's streets.

"Their plan of waiting for the Trojan sea monster to get close enough to shore won't work." Jason said. "The description you gave the senate was so accurate; you must know that too from the stories you heard from the pirates."

"Don't mention them." Reyna said sharply.

"But it's true, isn't it?" He kind-of had a faint idea about how to handle Reyna. He had to not stop the conversation to apologise or she'd pound his face in and he had to be straightforward or she'd doubt him.

She sighed. "Yes, Grace, it is. But I'm not going to annoy the life out of the senate about it. They'll do what they want to do; I'll fight what I have to fight."

"But it'll be suicide," Jason said. "I had a dream. I saw the first attack the Trojan Sea Monster had, the first one, in the time of the _graecus._ It won't work. It'll just destroy San Francisco, from the harbour out. That thing might even make it to the Fort; I've seen it grow legs! And spit acid, send shockwaves, and do all kinds of things."

"Lovely, why don't you share that with them?" Reyna said. She tried to walk off again, but he grabbed her arm and held her steady- which was kind of like trying to hold back a cannon ball.

"Because they won't believe me," Jason said. "You're the Centurion of the Second cohort now. You won the last war game. The senate does nothing but trust you right now."

"I can't talk the senate through flaming hoops, Jason. I'm not… I'm not…"

"Octavian?" He suggested.

"I was going to say _you. _I'm not you."

"I intend to save this city," Jason said. "The fort, the cohorts, New Rome, the families, the shops… All of it. But I need your help. I know you hate me more than maybe Octavian, but this isn't about that. We'll take both our cohorts. I have a plan, and if I get the help I need and it works out, that's all I need. Admit it, you like the sound of that. So… allies?"

Reyna regarded him coldly.

"For Rome," he said. "You can beat me up right after."

"Allies. You speak to the senate tonight- get Ava and Parks on our sides. I insert the facts. You insert the right thing to say. We save this city." She said. "Nothing more, nothing less."

"Done," he said holding out his hand. She shook it, gripping onto his forearm as his fingers shut around hers in the Roman way.

* * *

Risk Ten: 

The senators had filed into the Senate building in New Rome, running from wherever their cohort was, forgetting about the togas and the processions and only stopping to pass Terminus' tests, as the giant eagles fell from the sky, dead.

The main Centurions sat at the front row, the seconds right behind them, the senators in the back, elevated seats. Gwen kept leaning forwards and whispering snippets of what she'd heard was happening to Jason, as well as reassurance.

"A bad sign," Octavian said. "A horrible sign. When the eagle falls, Rome follows- it's an old saying in my family. Nothing could be clearer than this. The Titans really are an issue to us now, and they will attack. I've read it in the auguries."

He was holding a red Clifford doll, the stuffing pouring out of its snout so it looked like Santa Claus, the legs actually _tucked into _the rest of the toy. Jason had to wonder if Octavian had done that last part for fun.

"We've found an answer," Parks said. He'd managed to show up with all his armour and the praetor signs.

"We can form a barrier around the city," Ava said. "Be ready for them. As long as we keep them far from New Rome and the Fort, they cannot destroy the Roman legacy. They cannot destroy our _principia _or the tablets of law, which leaves the Empire secure."

_That makes no sense. If we bring them closer, the breech in our legion could be catastrophic. _Jason thought. _It's stupid. _

"Let the Titans come to us." Parks agreed gruffly, his chin so toughened up and shoulders so strongly set that Jason knew that, once again, he'd intimidated Ava into agreeing with him.

He hated their match as praetor. Parks was a good guy when someone was there to slap him on both cheeks, tell him to shut up, sit down and listen every now and then. Ava was just too much of a push-over, no matter how well-liked and attentive she was. Parks would need someone like… he glanced at the Centurion sitting nearly at the opposite end. Reyna. Parks and Reyna might work out, although he didn't like that idea. Parks was the biggest flirt ever.

Jason turned back and met Gwen's eyes. Her face was soft, as per usual, framed by red hair to her mid-neck that curved towards her, and brown eyes like a doe. Her smile looked friendly and peaceful, but Jason didn't miss the tiny details that showed that she wasn't thrilled- the corners of her lips were pinched. He nodded slightly at her. This was madness. She mouthed something at him, 'say it'.

Jason wasn't sure. He had only been Centurion for a year- he was a rookie compared to everyone here but Reyna. Not taken seriously; and already in trouble for being caught trying to get Dakota out of a tight situation the other day. He could lose his title- the title he'd been working up to since he was a little boy, what people had always expected of him- for saying it.

_That's not the point of being Centurion, _he told himself. _Centurions are guardians and leaders of their cohorts. And if you don't take the risk and speak up, your cohort's going to get slaughtered. Every single underdog, every single underrated star. _

He got up.

"Praetors, with all due respect, I object on this plan." He said.

The second he said it Jason thought _Holly Romulus, what have I got myself into? _

Then he thought of Dakota and Bobby his two best friends in the world. Amelia who was made fun of because of the specialty nymph-adjusted armour she had to wear although she always stood her ground, Gray with the limp but the coolest accent and the best stories of life, Sana and Sarah the twins who were lost without each other but did the coolest magic and gymnastic tricks in a pair. Ben who pointed instead of actually talking, Kitty with her every-runny nose but endless supply of whatever someone needed- Band-Aid, tissue, hug, Hulls, gum; you named it she had it-, Paige who always had a grocery store paperback in her back pocket but was smarter than your average scholar. _That. That's what I've gotten myself into, _he said regaining confidence.

People shut up for the second needed to process the information, and then started whispering about Jason as if he weren't there. As if they were watching a reality show and Jason was behind the television screen.

"Really, Centurion Grace?"

"I believe that this tactic is flawed," he said his heart pounding. "Our soldiers will be nervous, waiting for the Titans and their monsters to come. I believe that if there is a slip New Rome is doomed straight away, without giving the legion a chance to make a save. I believe the proximity to Rome will be a stress too great for many legionnaires."

"_Your _legionnaires, maybe." Octavian snarled. Jason locked his jaw and didn't speak a word back to him. _Not now, Jason, not now, you don't need him against you._

"I think all legionnaires are human, not just those under my control." Jason said carefully. "I think that it would be hard especially for the legacies whose families reside in the city."

_Okay, now I've shut _him _up…_

"Well, what do you suggest, son of Jupiter?" Parks said. He was using that name against him, making Jason look like he was thinking that he was superior, that his plan was automatically better. That he was arrogant.

"Well," Jason said. "If the senate and the people of Rome agree," _good, dismiss what he accused you of, _"I suggest a very aggressive and direct approach which may even be seen as a simple precaution against anything backfiring against the Empire. In the likes of the Spanish conquest." _Throw in some talk about an old and great victory, it's encouraging. _Even Reyna was looking at him now.

"And what would that be?" Ava asked. Good, she was interested. He had to get to her; he had to make her see his idea and make her like it more than she was scared into following Parks'.

"I suggest we use the element of surprise and attack Mount Othrys," Jason said.

There was gasping and whispering, but Jason didn't look back to any of the people talking. He looked at the other Centurions to see if any of them were interested. Cohorts one and three looked appalled. The fourth cohort's main centurion looked flabbergasted, but Reyna gave a tiny little nod. Nothing big, just something to say _yes; this is the way to go. _That was all he needed. He and Reyna could talk the whole legion into it, he knew so. They'd done it once, they'd do it twice. His heart beat faster.

"We march up that mountain, slaying every monster in our path. We destroy the black throne of Krios that Reyna's spy group had previously spotted."

"And how would this be done?" Parks said. "Who is willing to lead this impossible siege? Take responsibility for its victory… or its failure." It was obvious which turn of events Parks had his money on.

"I will." Jason said.

"I will support Grace." Reyna said, standing up and surprising everybody. "Having long observed the Titans; I think that this idea is the best. Who else?"

* * *

"We're gonna need a miracle," Claire from the Third Cohort said, sitting on the corner of the table, observing the map spread across. Her big, watery blue eyes landed on Jason, worried.

"No such thing as miracles on the battlefield. Get off the table." Reyna said harshly. She didn't do well with pretty-girls.

"Jason."

He turned around and saw Ben. Barely-talked, would-not-utter-words-if-he-could-peel-his-skin-off-instead, liked-to-point Ben.

"Yeah Ben?" He asked.

"Jason, we're kind-of busy." Reyna said nudging towards the map in the command tent. When you got the girl working on war, she was _working on war. _

"Yeah, I know, this'll take a sec." Jason said. He followed Ben out, ignoring Reyna's glare.

"What's wrong, man?" Jason asked.

"Apocalypse," Ben said. "People."

"What's wrong with people?"

"Confused. Don't get it. Upset."

"I thought that was what Gwen was for."

"Busy. Asthma attack."

"Ah. Was it Henry or Beth?"

"Hmm." Ben said. _So Henry._

"So what do you want me to do about it?"

"Stop trying to make me talk. You know what to do." Ben said.

"Dude, that was two sentences." Jason said. "Nice, maybe we do have a miracle on our side."

Ben made a sound that probably translated into 'no such thing'.

Jason followed him back to where the legion had planted up simple tents. Legionnaires hung out, making sure their swords were nice and sharp, checking for armour, fighting off battle jitters as best as they could, with bad jokes (mostly starting with 'so there's a gorgon, a _graecus, _a slave and a son of Ceres who walk into a bar'), or tales of monsters that made them sound worse than fishermen.

"Hey, you, muff that fire. Do you think we need to be spotted by someone's smoke?" Jason told two soldiers form the First Cohort. _I've got to remember to tell Octavian to work on the survival training he gives his cohort after all this. Also on the common sense. _

He also had to pull a couple apart from each other and tell them that they'd survive this thing, and so they could do that later and preferably in private.

The Fifth cohort was the most far away from the mountain, of course. They fumbled with the left over pieces of armour they'd been given. But Jason noticed something. They were the only ones with music. Someone had a fiddle. Someone had brought a fiddle to war. And three people were dancing.

When he got closer, the music stopped. The dancers objected and then saw Jason, and their faces fell.

"Don't worry," Jason said. "That's fine. That's great, guys. Music's cool, dancing's okay. All the other guys over there are stiff as plywood."

"We are too, man. We're more nervous than Reyna's dogs in a forge. What do you want us to do? Fight a war?"

"That's the general idea of being here, yeah." Jason said.

"We're the Island of Misfit toys," Gus said. "The left-overs that Lupa didn't deem low enough to slay but that the legion doesn't think is good enough to use."

"It's true," Sarah said.

"To the point where our armour is clearly insufficient," her sister added.

"And if you count that they brought us out now, it must be desperate." Paige said.

"We're at the bottom of the ditch, Jace. If anybody dies, it'll be us." Amelia said.

"I've evaluated the odds. Ancient Rome did the same thing." Amelia said.

He didn't know what to do or say to make the Cohort fight. They'd given up before hearing the final plan, the first battle cry, seeing the first enemy. He was standing on a ledge here; if he said the wrong thing, there went their attitude. If he said the right thing, there went the pessimism. Putting the words in was hard. But he had to say _something._

He looked around at them.

"Listen up, all of you."

"You lot!" Grey called in his thick accent. "Listen to Grace; he's got something to blabber on about."

"I never told anybody about my trip to the Wolf house," he said.

"And you think that right now is a good time?"

"I think that now is a great time," Jason said. "I didn't have any armour. I got thrown out there with my sword and my brain and my training, with my Centurion saying 'good luck'. That's it. Did I die?"

"Weren't you half delusional with poison when you got back?" Someone called out.

"Yeah," Jason said. "I was. Did it kill me?"

"Clearly not," Kitty said.

"Clearly not." Jason said. "Did it kill you, Kitty?"

"Why are you asking this? Of course not."

"Because we survived. The toys on the Island of Misfits survived to get there. If we were that bad from the start, Lupa wouldn't even have bothered with asking us our names. Now look at how it is now. We've got some armour. We've each got a solid weapon to use. We're trained better than any Wolf House runner was. We know what we're doing, and we're doing it with people we know_._ Hey, there's a 'we' now. We're practically unstoppable. We always have been. We just never looked at all the things going for us, because it's easier to make a list of the bad," Jason said. "And do you know how we're going to prove it? Do you know how we're going to show the legion, the whole legion, that we are unstoppable? Do you?"

"Nah," a bunch of people said. "Nope."

"We win this war. We win this war with Rome. Because Rome's always done it; it's won wars, it's expanded, it's explored, conquered. And without an eagle, without gold, without our homeland and territory- we are still Rome. If we call ourselves Romans, we _are_ Romans. And if we are Romans, then we are the victorious."

People from the other cohorts crept closer.

"It doesn't matter what cohort you are, what weapons and armour you have. It doesn't matter to which Centurion you report because we are one legion. And you are all forgetting that. The whole legion is forgetting that. And more importantly; the Titans are forgetting that. I'll tell you this right now; they'll only realise it too late. By the time they can't save themselves. We take away their power and subject them to ours. The Titans cannot take Rome; but Rome can, and _will, _take the Titans!"

People seemed excited. They talked and whispered and smashed their fists against their palms. He got confident.

Jason drew his sword and raised it in the air, in a Roman salute.

"And we are Rome!"

Swords, daggers, _pilums, _spears, masses and even bare fists were all thrown into the air as the legion yelled out a cheer. Well, four out of five cohorts anyways. Ben flashed a quiet thumb up to Jason (_I guess that _was_ the right thing to say) _and pointed behind him. He turned around and saw Reyna who walked up to shoulder him.

"That took more than a sec, but it was time well spent." She said. She bumped her shoulder against Jason's. "Come on Saving Grace, let's get back to the tent. We-are-Rome still needs half a brain."

He made his way with Reyna through the people, who were now buzzing with energy. He had to stop to tell Paige to stop reading her book after she finished the chapter because she wasn't going to have the time to finish another one.

"You know your people," Reyna said.

"I live with them. I always have. It's hard not to." Jason said.

"It's why they like you so much. And why you like them and care as much. It's why you know what to say." Reyna said. "Why you're exactly the right kind of person to lead them up the Mountain."

"Yeah, I guess." Jason said.

At that moment there was a big rumbling sound. The whole legion looked towards the mountain. The black and grey clouds circling it were spinning around the peak now, and expanding towards the ground. Towards the legion.

_There must've been more fires. They know we're here despite the invisible protection Terminus promised… _

He desperately wanted to take off and examine the clouds. Were they thick? Magic? Would the whole legion be poisoned the second they tried to march through them?

"Jace!" He heard someone say. He turned around and saw Gwen, the Fifth Cohort behind her. Already in ranks, already dressed and armed.

"What do you need us to do?" She asked.

Jason looked over at Reyna. Other Centurions were gathering as the legion scrambled to form ranks.

"Tell the Centurions to follow the plan." Jason said. He peaked at his cohort. These were the people he trusted more than anything, right there and then. "Except the Fifth's leading the attack. The other Cohorts will have to fall in ranks behind, I'm not bringing the First up there." Jason said.

Reyna scowled. "Jason, are you sure? Octavian will be highly ticked off if the First Cohort isn't up there with them."

"Well then at least he'll be alive, and I'll remind him of it." Jason said. He turned around. "Fifth cohort! Moveo! Signo sequute!"

And so they did- they marched, following Tracy who was carrying the cohort's standards.

For the first time, the whole of Rome made way for the Fifth Cohort to march through.

* * *

Risk Fourteen of Jason Grace: 

They were sitting at the Principia's table and she caught the paper plane he'd thrown at her out of the air.

"Jason Grace, I am going to hurt you." She said.

"Threat or promise?" He asked just to mess with her. She turned to face him. She wasn't really mad, he knew that. Her almond eyes weren't any harder than they usually were. Maybe they were actually softer since it was just him.

"Depends on my schedule," she said. "I've just got so much paperwork… I think Octavian's doing this on purpose, no way that Ava and Parks did this much when they had the job."

"Well of course he's doing it on purpose," Jason said. "He's still mad at me, which makes him mad at you."

"Mad at _us, _maybe? I let you lead the Fifth Cohort up first, and frankly, you were right. The First Cohort just wouldn't have followed you up there like they did, through the smoke and monsters. Besides, we're a team now." Reyna said. "Just get to work or it's turning into a one-woman-show."

Jason turned back and his pen hovered over the signature line on a building permit for houses in New Rome.

"How much more building can we do before we have to think about expanding the Pomeranian lines?" Jason asked.

"Not much," Reyna said.

"Why do they keep wanting to build mini malls and all that? New Rome's a fine city. Everyone has what they need, and then some."

"Agreed," Reyna said, reading through a document that was a good 20-page-long brick.

"This guy wants to build a private house complex with a pool and gym or something like that."

"I wouldn't let him, lest you want to deal with a tycoon in little while." Reyna said, initialing a paragraph on a document.

There was a knock on the door and someone shuffled inside. Jason looked up and saw that it was Gwen, wearing jeans and the kind of blouse she wore when she was going dancing outside of the Fort on the weekends, holding a cardboard tray and three coffee cups.

"Hey you two," Gwen said. "Just thought I'd drop this off for you two before heading off to Berkeley. The one with the punched in button on the cap is for you Rey, black. I did _nothing _to it, it's as black as coffee gets," she promised unloading the tray. "Jace, you've got a half hot-chocolate, this one here."

"Thanks Gwen," Jason said.

"Yes, you're a lifesaver," Reyna said. "I'm about to fall asleep on the paperwork."

"This is why caffeine is good!" Gwen said. "And the dogs won't leave the _principia _if you don't, Reyna, so the third cup is just water for them."

"You thought of everything," Jason said.

"Just trying to help you out," Gwen smiled. "I know Octavian's making this harder on purpose. Ciao, you two."

"Later Gwen," Jason said. Reyna raised her hand, taking a sip of coffee.

"How do you drink that stuff black?" Jason asked.

"I'm just more badass than you are." Reyna said. "Why do you put hot chocolate in it, anyways?"

"It's delicious," Jason said. "Try it," he said pushing his cup towards her. She picked it up, and Jason caught the scars on her knuckles as she lifted the cup towards her lips. Like whip marks.

"Mm, it is good." She said.

"See? You're not all that badass, you're just a big softie." Jason said.

"Whatever Grace, I never said I'd stop drinking it black. I bet you couldn't even handle a sip without the chocolate."

"I bet I can," Jason said. Reyna handed him her cup and he would've made the biggest face of life if it weren't for that _big-scary-Roman-Fulminata-always-conquer_-_no-emotions-ra-ra-ra _training.

"It's fine." He said.

"As if, you should see your eyes," Reyna said shaking her head and laughing at him. She was in a good mood. She was laughing, which made her about twenty times prettier. The lines of her face faded and she looked younger, more her age. Her black hair swished around her face as she shook her head, and her eyes were closed when they laughed. She didn't look scary at all.

Which didn't mean that she wouldn't chop him into pieces if he said what he wanted to say… But it could mean that she wouldn't… Did he want to risk losing that? Losing the exclusive right to be one of the five or so people in the world ever allowed to see Reyna Sabourin laugh?

"We should get coffee at some point." Jason said.

"We have coffee, we just went over that." Reyna asked.

"No, like, together. Some other time." Jason said. _Don't leave the job half-done whoos, say it. Say it. Take the risk, just put it on the table. _"As a date."

* * *

Risk Twenty of Jason Grace: 

"Excellent!" the giant roared as Jason approached. "An appetizer! Who are you-Hermes? Ares?"

Jason thought about going with that idea, but something told him not to.

"I'm Jason Grace," he said. "Son of Jupiter."

Those white eyes bored into his. Behind him, Leo's circular saw whirred, and Piper talked to the cage in soothing tones, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.

Porphyrion threw back his head and laughed. "Outstanding!" He looked up at the cloudy night sky. "So, Zeus, you sacrifice a son to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you."

The sky didn't even rumble. No help from above. Jason was on his own.

_[Text taken from The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, page 507, Jason]_

* * *

Risk Twenty Two of Jason Grace:

Jason turned his face away from her when she leaned in to kiss him. He felt her hurt right away and nearly regretted it.

"I'm sorry, I just can't." He said.

"Jason," Piper said. This was her, this was her way of showing her voice and establishing that it was as plain as Piper's voice got, no charmspeak. "I know that a million things could have happened with another girl at Camp Jupiter, but are you sure? I don't want you to expect something that won't be there once you get back. Your memories aren't all there yet, don't lie, I see it in your face."

"You mean you don't want me to throw us out of the window without being sure." Jason said. She bit her lip.

"That sounds selfish. But yes."

Jason didn't know what to say. Piper was cool. They'd just gone through an amazing quest together and that'd changed her a lot. It'd changed the way he saw her quite a lot. He didn't want to hurt her, or throw his relationship with her in a dump along with left-overs and couches whose springs were sticking out. But he wasn't she if she was more than a cool friend. And the truth was, he didn't remember this girl completely yet. He just knew that she'd kill him for that.

Certain details were getting clearer as the dust settled in his mind. He didn't know her last name, how much she liked him, where she was born, when he'd met her. He knew that her name was Rey (whatever that was short for), that she was his partner, that she was a daughter of Bellona, and something about 'pirates' kept poking at his mind. He remembered planning one coffee date, but he knew that had never happened. Had she said yes? And if so, was it just a casual 'yes'?

But he knew that if this was what he hoped it was, he couldn't jeopardise or hurt it in any way.

"Well, if that's a risk, it's one I'm willing to take." Jason said.

Piper nodded. "As long as you don't get hurt. I _do _care about you, and I know nothing's easy right now. No hard feelings, I swear."

"Thanks Piper," he said, relieved to have finally come out with it. She nodded, gave him a quick hug, and caught up with the rest of the Aphrodite campers who were heading back to bed.

* * *

Risk Twenty Five:

He stepped up onto the platform that brought him steps away from the Argo II. It was like the plank off the pirate ship. The idea was that he'd be a familiar face, promising the Romans that this wasn't an invasion and that twenty million Greeks wouldn't splurge out of the hull and invade their city. That no harm had been done to him while he was there.

He wasn't scared of falling off, really. That was like being scared of peanuts when you weren't allergic to them. No: what _he_ was scared of was fireballs and missiles and volleys of arrows aimed at his head. He was also scared of looking pretentious, wearing the symbols of a Praetor after being such an absent one, when it was likely that somebody new had taken the job (Jason's guess was either Percy Jackson or Octavian).

It was mostly the missiles, though.

He closed his eyes. No. No way. Reyna would protect him. He had to trust her on that front. She was still his partner, even if he might not be praetor anymore. She'd been his partner during the nautical battle of the Trojan Sea Monster and for the siege of Mount Othrys. She was his friend, and she liked him at least enough to accept a coffee date out of pity. Out of pity- even _that _was something for her.

It was still risky, in case she wasn't there when the troops fired. But he had to trust Reyna. That's what he'd been doing for the last few months, wasn't it?

"Jason," Annabeth called from the ship's deck. She was even more nervous than he was. "Can we just go over the plan _one more time?" _

* * *

Risk forty-seven point five of Jason Grace: 

He paced back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth.

"Yo, this place isn't well built with certified material, man. Don't wear out the floorboards." Bobby called.

There were five of them living in the apartment. Frank, Bobby, Leo, Percy and Jason. Yeah; it was really tight, especially when more people came over, but they were all too poor to pay for rents on their own, and it was much more exciting to be living in one house- although not useful when you had homework or another serious thing to do.

"Valdez will just be thrilled to have something else to fix in this place." Frank said. "Keep pacing, man. Somebody should go turn on both faucets at once so he has that, too."

"Na, Grace's just nervous." Percy said.

"For what? Reyna's always been bloodthirsty, just seeing her tonight won't make her scarier." Leo said.

"She's not bloodthirsty; you're making her sound like some kind of vampire." Jason said. "I thought you liked her."

"Yeah man, she's great. But she's also bloodthirsty." Leo said.

He rolled his eyes and nearly jumped when he saw someone walking up the front steps.

"Miss me, did you?" She asked, letting herself in through the storm door. She looked great, wearing a black dress with her down her back.

"Of course I did," he said, kissing her.

"That's disgusting. And I'm the only one allowed to say that because you all with your girlfriends are just as bad. 'Specially you, Percy." Leo said.

"Later everyone," Jason said, opening the door for her.

"Bye idiots," Reyna said.

"Love you too," Percy said, focusing really hard on his own textbook.

* * *

"Yo, Peverell?" Frank said. "Why was he so nervous? Percy's on to something."

"Oh, 'cause he's going to propose to his 'bloodthirsty vampire' tonight." Bobby said.

"He thinks she might kill him, but I've got a bet with Bobby that says that if she does, she'll orchestrate it so that it looked like an accident."

"I'm throwing in five denarii that she'll only kill him if it's in a really public place," Frank said.

"Eight drachmas that he'll screw it up," Leo said.

* * *

She always walked over to his house. For one thing; she worked crazy shifts as a cop. A scheduled return home to 4:30 could end up being 5:45, and he rather let her take her time to relax before coming to find him. He was used to waiting a while before their evening started (although tonight the wait had nearly killed him) and they'd found plenty of nice places that didn't need reservations.

"So how did your day go? Slay anybody?" Jason asked.

"No, not today. Busted this drug dealer, though. Good riddance. His front was a pharmacist, it was quite concealed." Reyna said.

"Was it the Patrician's Pharmacy? I saw that it was closed when I walked back from the bus. Hmm, I wouldn't ever have thought. So how did you find him?"

"The dogs hated him. And on certain receipts, the same medicine would have different costs. The more expensive ones were usually bought at night, too." Reyna said.

"Oh boy," Jason said. "Well my day was boring compared to that."

"What did you do?"

"Let's just say that law school was the worst idea I've ever had." Jason said. "Especially outside-of-New-Rome law school."

"A day in the books. Fun." _Yeah, hopefully it's about to get a whole lot better._

"I feel like I'm back in the principia, except instead of you I have a class of bored and depressed Californians." Jason said. "I miss you."

She laughed, which made him smile.

"I miss you too. Don't worry, you're graduating next week and since you've got the proconsular status going for you, places will be lining up to hire." She said. "I know that's what I would do, anyways."

They walked for a while. It was quiet. The sun was setting, and kids were running down the streets in a rush to get home before curfew, or to get candy or junk food from the stores before they closed. There was a line stretching out of Gaius' Gelato Shop which probably meant that there'd been a baseball or soccer game.

"Oh, that place." Reyna said pointing to a tiny Italian restaurant wedged between a photography store and a musty antique book store that Annabeth always dragged Percy to; a place that nobody knew about. Jason liked it better that way- there was always room for them, the waiter knew them by middle name, the food wasn't flash-frozen and imported from Kazakhstan and it was quiet. Their little oasis- where nobody was going 'oh, look how the two old praetors are doing in life now that they're not at the top of the food chain' et cetera, et cetera; but instead going 'hey it's Jason and Reyna, take your regular table, two diet cokes, coming right up!'

That's what happened, and they had the food they always had. She brushed her hair over one shoulder and between bights of penne alfredo she told him about her day at work, and how it was hard to do some of the job's tasks without the proper weaponry and so forth. He loved that. Forgetting to eat his own food because he was listening to her, and making her laugh, and having her make him laugh. He liked how she could just rant about her job and coworkers to him and know that he'd never say anything- how much she trusted him, how much he trusted her.

He wondered if it was a good idea. He didn't want to risk losing that. He didn't want some kind of awkwardness to install itself. He didn't want to push it too far- to lose what they'd come so far to have.

"I think they pay him to sharpen pencils, because honestly that's all he ever does. I ask him for a search on an address, and two days later he 'hasn't had time to look it up'. Well bud, there are seven detectives here and two of us are on the same case, how hard can it be?"

"Not that hard," he said. "Tell your boss about it."

"I'm going to wait for you to be a lawyer so I have some back-up." Reyna said. She looked up at him and grinned, twinkle in her eye.

_Screw that man; I've got to do it. She's right there._

He talked a little about how being a lawyer was going to take a while and although he appreciated the promise of having at least one client; he doubted it'd make a difference. Then there was a pause where they just ate. Those quiet moments that weren't awkward. He loved those too. Dang it, he loved so many things. Most of them about her.

"We're such wooses, we always _say _we're going to try some new food when we come here, but we never do." Reyna said.

_Go, go, go, go, go, do it now, do it now._

"Okay, here's something new." Jason said getting up.

He stood next to her seat and she looked confused.

"So," he took a deep breath. "I know I missed out on you for eight months… a few years ago. But I want to make sure that I'll always be there for you for whatever reason there is, and now I want to make sure that the whole world knows for sure and absolutely that you're my priority."

He got down to one knee because that's what he was meant to do. He saw her lips part in shock and he heard her inhale in shock. He was aware that people and staff turned to look at them. He reached into his pocket and –_yes, good job, twenty bonus points- _didn't fumble with the ring box. He held it up and opened it without a fumble.

"Reyna Sabourin, will you marry me?"

* * *

Risk one billion of Reyna: 

A part of Reyna wanted to just drive to Vegas right there and then. _Yes, yes, yes, stupid question, you should've just given me the ring and said 'I want to marry you'. _

But living with Annabeth taught you certain things about math; constants. There were some things, like Pi, that were always the same.

Reyna had few constants herself, being a person who liked to move and change and who had been moved and changed. But one of those was the constant chorus of; _don't trust men, the natural order of things bring them to the level of pigs, you are superior- too superior to deign them, they don't deserve any woman. _

That first coffee date had been a risk- of reputation and getting hurt. A petty risk. Publically calling herself his girlfriend was another risk- of humiliation and getting hurt. Still petty enough.

Marrying him? That wasn't petty. This was the rest of her life.

Then again… Was there ever a risk that the rest of her life wouldn't include her coming to these little restaurants with him, and spilling her day's work and troubles out to him and just _being _with Jason?

Not really. It wasn't like there was a risk.

She looked down at him. His face was suave and calm, but she could see the fleck of nervousness in his eyes just because he was hers as far as she was concerned and she could read him.

"Yes," she said. She didn't know why she was stammering. She didn't know why her chest felt so tight while the rest of her felt so strangely… giddy? "Yes- I- I'll be your- I'll marry you."

Which made them a pair of daredevils.


End file.
